In an effort to optimize crop yield, farmers are known to till the soil to kill weeds which otherwise might rob the soil of valuable moisture and nutrients. Commercially available farm implements utilize a series of cultivator sweeps arranged on a wheeled frame of the implement and which are drawn through the soil beneath a top surface thereof and in a manner cutting the weed roots which lie in its path of travel.
A well known form of cultivator sweep has a generally V-shape configuration with a nose portion including a forwardmost ground penetrating point and a pair of wing portions which diverge outwardly and rearwardly from the point. Each wing portion is configured with "plating" or a bevel on their outer edges to improve both soil penetration and the ability for cutting roots as the sweep moves through the soil. The bevel on each outer edge either extends to the forwardmost point or stops just short thereof.
During operation, the cultivator sweep is normally disposed about 3 inches to about 6 inches below the top surface of the field being tilled. Some fields in which cultivator sweeps are used contain highly abrasive soils. Moreover, the tip or point on the sweep often contacts obstacles such as rocks and larger size roots as the cultivator sweep is drawn through the field. The point of the sweep, therefore, quickly wears away or is bent or broken thus resulting in a rounded point on the sweep.
As will be appreciated, a rounded or broken tip on the sweep detracts from the ability of the sweep to penetrate the soil and affects overall tillage efficiency. A sweep is typically secured to a depending arm or tine of the farm implement by bolts which provide a secure fitting but which are difficult to loosen after the sweep has been used for some time. Cultivator sweeps with worn tips need to be replaced and unfastening and replacement of the bolts is a tedious and time consuming process.
Consequently, a need and a desire exists for a cultivator sweep which provides increased strength for the nose and tip portion of the sweep thereby increasing the useful life of the sweep.